by Jenna Brandt
“Are you sure? Can you get up?”
Samuel leaned up on his elbows, then winced. “Okay, maybe it’s a little bit worse than I first thought.”
“Do you think something’s broken?” she reached out, her hand moving along his arms and legs, looking for anything out of place. Next, she moved to inspect his torso and then chest. Her hands hovered just over his heart, the feel of his brawny physique more than she bargained for.
“What is it? Is something wrong?” he asked with worry in his eyes and voice.
“It isn’t that,” she stammered out. “It’s just, I think…” her words trailed off; she was unable to complete her thoughts out loud. She didn’t want to admit he had such a strong effect on her. Especially after the conversation they just had that made her question if he felt nearly as much for her as she did for him.
“You think what?” he asked, reaching up his arm and placing his hand on her face. “That you couldn’t stand the idea of me being in pain? That you’re glad that I’m not hurt beyond recovery?”
“What kind of monster do you think I am? Of course, I’m grateful you’re not hurt,” she chastised, smacking his chest.
“Ouch,” he winced in pain, “you shouldn’t hit a man who was just kicked off a horse.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she rushed out, gently rubbing the spot where she hit him. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
He tilted his head to the side and gave her a knowing smile. “I know how you can make it up to me.”
“And how is that?” she asked with a quirk of her eyebrow.
“A kiss. I told you, it’s my favorite form of payment.”
Vanessa couldn’t help herself. Before she could think about the consequences of giving into him again, she found herself leaning down and placing a kiss on his lips. He took full advantage of it, wrapping his arms around her as he pulled her to him and he leaned back into the grass. The kiss was filled with passion beyond anything Vanessa had ever felt. It caused her body to quiver. She pulled back, breathless and out of control for the first time as far back as she could remember.
“Like I said, best form of payment ever,” he murmured with a wink. “I feel better already.”
“Were you faking?” she accused, trying to distract both of them from how she just reacted to him.
“Maybe I over exaggerated a little bit, but I really am sore,” he explained as he climbed to his feet with her assistance. “The better question is now that my horse took off, how am I getting back to the stables?”
“You can ride with me.” She gestured towards her own steed. “She’s far more gentle.”
“If it means I get to be close to you, I’m in.” Then glancing from her to the horse, he asked, “Should I ride in front or back?”
“Considering the condition you’re in, I should probably be in charge of the reins. I promise I’ll take good care of you.”
“Oh, I have no doubt.”
Chapter Nine
After returning the horse to the stables and explaining what happened with the other one, they returned to Galway via taxi. The rest of the group met them at Red Gables Restaurant, famous for its authentic Irish food and friendly atmosphere.
Simone arranged for them to have the entire establishment to themselves, making it an enjoyable evening. They sampled the different menu items and drinks as they danced to live music by one of the local bands.
“How was your special outing today?” Tara asked, as she came up to Samuel and Vanessa, who were taking a break at one of the tables surrounding the dance floor. Wade was standing beside her, seeming just as interested in their answer as his fiancée was.
“It was nice,” Vanessa confessed with a smile. “Samuel knew exactly how to make me happy.”
“I bet he did,” Wade teased with a chuckle. “He’s good at figuring out what someone wants and giving it to them.”
The smile disappeared from Vanessa’s face as she looked over at Samuel skeptically. Samuel gave his friend a dirty look, disliking that he made him sound like he only did nice things for people to get something in return. “What’s wrong with me wanting to make people happy?”
“Nothing,” Wade said his eyes widening with shock. “You’ve always been a good friend to me. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have met Tara and found my own happiness.”
Samuel immediately wished he hadn’t jumped to the wrong conclusion. Wade was the last person to think the worst of him. “I might have sent you the invitation to the club, but you’re the one that got her to fall in love with you by being the kind and generous person you are. I could learn a thing or two from you.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. I think you have a lot of potential under that nonchalant façade,” Tara flattered. “You might be a diamond in the rough, but you’re still a diamond.”
Samuel was touched by their kind words. It didn’t, however, go unnoticed by him that during the conversation, Vanessa had remained quiet. Part of him couldn’t help but wonder if it was because he hadn’t been the best at communicating how he felt when they talked about their relationship earlier. She deserved to know he thought she was the most special woman in the world, but he was afraid of rejection. If he told her he cared, and she didn’t want to take a chance on a real relationship with him, it would devastate him. He also knew that if he didn’t tell her, he could risk losing her for her good.
Pushing the troubling thoughts aside, he stretched out his hand to Vanessa. “Care for another dance?”
“I’d love to,” she said, placing her own hand in his as he guided her out onto the dance floor.
Gathering Vanessa into his arms was exactly what he needed. She fit perfectly against him as they danced to the beat of the music. He wrapped his arms tighter around her waist, pulling her as close as possible, relishing the feel of her heart beating in sync with his own. From the look in her eyes, he could tell she was enjoying the dance as much as him. If they were alone, he’d tell her right then how he felt, but there were too many people around for him to be comfortable being that vulnerable.
Wanting to take her somewhere more private, he offered, “Would you like to go somewhere special with me?”
“Sure, I’m up for whatever you want to do.”
Samuel took her by the hand and pulled her off the dance floor, heading towards the exit. They didn’t get very far before Harry stepped in front of them, blocking their escape.
“Where are you off to? Got some big plans? I can’t believe you’re skipping out on us again. Your concierge had big plans for tonight.”
“As you can see, I already have plans of my own,” Samuel explained, gesturing towards Vanessa.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if she talked you into eloping. I mean, it’s obvious she’s got you locked down already, so what would be the difference if you put the final nail in the coffin of your single life?”
“You should shut up if you know what’s good for you, Harry. My relationship with Vanessa is none of your concern.”
“Relationship? Do you hear yourself? I don’t even recognize you anymore. You’ve completely blown off your friends to spend every waking moment with her, probably every sleeping moment, too—if you got any sleep at all, that is,” he finished crassly with a wag of his eyebrows.
Samuel let out a growl, clenching his fist at his side as he tried to resist the urge to wipe the smug look off the other man’s face. “If Vanessa wasn’t present, your face would be meeting the end of my fist. Since she is, I’m simply going to ask you to be gone by the time we get back to the train.”
Without waiting for a response, Samuel pushed past the other man, pulling Vanessa behind him.
“You didn’t have to do that. I could have defended myself,” Vanessa said, as she reached out to stop him. “We both know, he was just trying to get a reaction out of you.”
“Well, he succeeded. He’s just lucky that all I did was kick him out of my party.”
“That was very big of you. I’m not one for v
iolence, but I wouldn’t have blamed you if you had punched him. He deserved it.”
“Yes, I’m starting to see that I have little tolerance anymore for surrounding myself with jerks. I don’t want to dwell on Harry anymore. Let’s focus on us.”
“I like that idea,” she said with a smile as they climbed into the back of a taxi and headed towards the waterfront.
A few minutes later, they arrived at Salthill Promenade just in time for sunset. “Have you ever been here before?” Samuel inquired.
“No, my family never made it to Galway when we visited. I’ve always wanted to come here though.”
They strolled along the paved, seaside walk, taking in the magnificent views of Galway Bay. Restaurants, hotels, and shops lined the promenade, and Samuel offered to take her into any of them she would like.
“I’d prefer to just keep walking with you and taking in the view. I would like some coffee though, if you see a place where we can get a cup to go.”
“I know the perfect place just up the way,” Samuel suggested, wrapping his arm through hers. “When I did my show here, it was my go-to place for coffee.”
“Then I bet it has to be good.”
“It’s not just good, it’s the best.”
Once they reached the coffee shop, they entered and ordered two house coffees with heavy cream. Vanessa took her first sip and her eyes rounded with enthusiasm. “You weren’t kidding. This has to be the best coffee I’ve ever tasted.”
“It’s the beans they use. They’re locally grown,” Samuel explained. “I actually have them shipped to my home in New York.”
“Now I know where to go when I need my next fix,” she teased as they exited the coffee shop. “I’ll just have to come over and—“
Before Vanessa could finish speaking, an unwanted familiar voice interrupted, saying, “There you are, Samuel. I’ve been looking for you all day. Did you forget to text me where to meet you?”
His stomach dropped, realizing when he first arrived on the train in Ireland, he’d texted Aisling Murphy, hoping that she might meet up with him while they toured the country. Aisling’s father was a wealthy Irish businessman, and they’d been introduced while he was filming in Galway. Samuel had gone out with her a few times while production was going on. The press had gotten wind and taken pictures of them together, but it never amounted to anything. He’d forgotten all about texting her once he started spending time with Vanessa. It was a stupid mistake, and he was afraid it was going to cost him dearly with Vanessa.
“I’m only in town for the day. I didn’t see a point,” Samuel explained, avoiding telling her that he’d forgotten about her.
“That’s plenty long enough for us to catch up for old times’ sake,” Aisling purred with a sexy smile, moving closer to Samuel and placing her hand on his upper arm. “It’s still not too late to make a go of our plans.”
“Plans?” Vanessa questioned, stepping away from Samuel, a look of hurt in her eyes. “You had plans with her? How is that possible when you’ve been spending time with me during this whole trip?”
Aisling looked over at Vanessa for the first time, her eyes narrowing into slits. “Is she your new flavor of the week? Does she know she won’t last like any of us? That you move on from woman to woman like a bee moves from flower to flower?”
“Aisling, that is enough,” Samuel barked out, worried what affect her words were going to have on Vanessa. The last thing he needed was for Aisling to scare Vanessa off. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, don’t I though? I thought we had an understanding, that you knew what our time together meant to me, but when you left Galway, you dropped me like a lead rock. I never heard from you again, even after I called you and sent you emails. I was so desperate to get ahold of you, I even reached out to you on social media, and you never responded,” she accused, angrily. “Then out of the blue, you reach out to me a couple of days ago, and I think you’ve had a change of heart, only to find out you’re here with another woman. What kind of person treats someone like that?”
“I think this should be a private conversation,” Vanessa said, pulling away from Samuel, the distrust clear in her eyes. “I don’t want to be here anymore.”
Without waiting for a response, Vanessa rushed away, leaving Samuel alone with Aisling. He wanted to chase after Vanessa, but when he moved to leave, Aisling grabbed him by the arm to stop him. “Good, it’s better with her gone anyway.”
“No, it isn’t,” he barked at Aisling. “I’m sorry that things didn’t work out between us, but you got the wrong idea about what happened. It was never going to be anything more than casual.”
“Why? What does she have that I don’t? I was good to you, wasn’t I, Samuel?”
He could hear the hurt in her voice, and he felt awful that he caused it. “It’s nothing you did or didn’t do, Aisling. It was me. I haven’t been in the right place to have a relationship. I’m trying to change that about myself.”
“For her,” Aisling alleged, crossing her arms over her chest. “I can see the way you look at her; you care about that other woman. You look at her in a way you never looked at me.”
“I do care about Vanessa, but that’s not the reason. I’ve recently come to realize that I don’t like the person I’ve become over the past few years. I’ve forgotten about what truly matters.”
“Don’t tell me you’ve gone and gotten religious,” Aisling frowned with a shake of her head.
“I didn’t get religious, I just forgot who I was—who I want to be. Vanessa reminded me of that man. That’s why I need to leave to fix things between us before it’s too late.”
“I’m starting to see it’s best I didn’t end up with you.”
“You’re right. You deserve better. I wish you all the best, Aisling, and I really am sorry for not treating you right.”
Samuel took off in the direction Vanessa ran off toward, hoping he could catch up with her before she left the promenade. Why did this have to happen now? He was finally in a good place with Vanessa, but this could ruin everything he built with her. He could try to blame Aisling, but the truth was, it was his own fault. He should have known. It would only be a matter of time before his past selfish choices came back to haunt him. He just hoped he could find Vanessa and make her understand, he wasn’t the man he once was and that he was changing because of her.
Samuel spent the next hour scouring the promenade for Vanessa. The longer he went without finding her, the more desperate he got. What if he found the perfect woman for him but he blew it? What if Vanessa was done with him? When he finally finished searching everywhere he could think of, he realized his best option was to head back to the train and pray she was there.
Chapter Ten
As soon as Vanessa got back to the train, she headed straight to her cabin. She didn’t want to talk to anyone, especially her sister. The last thing she needed to hear was, “I told you so.”
How could she have been so stupid to think that Samuel could change? She thought if he cared about her enough, he would be willing to give up his playboy lifestyle. At every turn, however, there was someone telling her that he was never going to. The woman at the promenade was the final straw. There were too many signs pointing out the obvious, that Samuel was never going to be the man she needed.
After changing out of her clothes and slipping into her pajamas, she turned on the TV and picked out a movie to watch, hoping it would take her mind off what happened with Samuel. Every movie that came up in the queue reminded her of him. After their last conversation about movies, she’d updated it with classic movies he’d suggested that she hadn’t seen before. Angrily, she pushed the button, causing the screen to go black.
Perhaps reading a book was a better option. She opened her suitcase and pulled out the cozy mystery she’d started reading on the island. She flipped open the book to where she had left off, but every time she tried to digest the words on the page, Samuel’s face came floating into h
er mind, distracting her. She found herself constantly having to repeat the sentences she’d already read.
Frustrated, she slammed the book shut and jumped up from the chair in her room. She started pacing, trying to figure out what she could do to push Samuel out of her mind. Sleep was clearly out of the picture, along with any distractions she had in her room. She thought about the activities on the train and realized that there would be casino games as well as dancing. Perhaps her sister would want to go down to the other end of the train, if she wasn’t already there.
Vanessa picked up her phone and sent a quick text.
What are you doing tonight?
I need something to distract me.
Three bubbles appeared, showing that her sister was typing back. A couple of seconds later, the text came through.
I’m in the casino car with William.
Come join us. I know the perfect way to distract you.
Not wanting to give herself a chance to second guess her decision, Vanessa responded immediately.
I’ll be there in a few minutes.
Vanessa looked through her dresses hanging in the cabin’s closet. She opted for a knee-length emerald green dress and slipped it on, then put her hair up in a messy bun before re-applying her makeup. She finished getting ready with a pair of black stilettos and diamond hoop earrings.
She exited her cabin and headed down the corridor. She reached the second to the last car and entered. Heather was sitting at the roulette table with William by her side. Her eyes momentarily darted up as Vanessa approached, a smile spreading across her face. “Nessa, you actually came. Color me surprised. I thought for sure you would be doing something with Samuel again.”
“That’s over,” Vanessa stated firmly. “I just want to get through tonight so when the train returns to Dublin, we can fly home and I can forget all about this trip.”